Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (April 27-May 3, 2020) by Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper

Urgent action needed in conflict zones amid Covid-19 pandemic THE INTERNATIONAL Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned that it will be nearly impossible to fight the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in countries already devastated by conflict unless a concerted response by states and humanitarian orga-

Founded 2006

nizations is launched immediately. It said plans to prevent and respond to the virus must urgently move forward before it gains a foothold in conflict zones. Covid-19 represents a major threat to life in countries with strong health systems. But the

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threat is even greater in places where health systems have been ravaged by war, where people uprooted by conflict live in close proximity, and where life-saving resources like clean water, soap and medicine are in short supply. Continue on page 2

THE RESEARCH group IBON said that millions of Filipinos are going hungry and suffering the worst mass unemployment in the country’s history as the government’s strict quarantine enters its second month. It said the government relief efforts, especially

to the poorest Filipinos, are sluggish and minimal. “The Duterte administration is not giving emergency relief enough attention and appears more focused on using “martial law-like” measures to contain mounting social unrest,” IBON said. President Rodrigo

Duterte’s latest report to Congress shows how government’s socioeconomic response is still dragging and meager, even in achieving its already low targets. Even with emergency powers granted to Duterte, bureaucratic hurdles and Continue on page 2

Filipinos go hungry as ECQ enters 2nd month

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April 27-May 3, 2020

Longer ECQ approved

HE ENHANCED community quarantine, or ECQ, has been extended up to May 15 following the recommendation of the Inter-agency Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases, or IATF-EID, according to Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque. Roque said the en- gion IV-A and all other Quezon, Oriental Mindhanced community high-risk areas such as oro and Occidental Minquarantine is extend- Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva doro. ed the National Capital Ecija, Pampanga, BatanAnd also Albay, Region, Region III, Re- gas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Continue on page 3

Sulu now has 6 suspected Covid deaths President Rodrigo Duterte. (PCOO)

NPA unfazed by Duterte’s martial law threat

Responding to the request of Sulu Task Force COVID 19 Chairman Governor Sakur Tan to strengthen the capacity of health workers in specimen collection for Covid-19 testing, Department of Health Region IX Director Emilia Monicimpo sent a medical team to to the Sulu Integrated Provincial Health Office to train doctors and nurses from 19 municipalities of Sulu. The trainers are led by resource speakers are Dr. Dennis Antonio Dacayanan - CHD IX RESU Section Head; Renier Aberto, RN, EMT - Disease Surveillance Officer; and Justine Jay Legaspi, RN - Disease Surveillance Officer. (Sulu Task Force Covid-19) SULU - The provincial government has reported a total of 6 suspected deaths in recent weeks amid the strict general home quarantine to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19.

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The Sulu Task Forces Covid-19, headed by Governor Sakur Tan, said 2 more patients suspected of having the deadly virus are now in quarantine. He appealed anew to residents to stay at home and practise social distancing

and maintain cleanliness to minimize risk of infection. “Please follow our quarantine guidelines and let us help each other fight the spread of this Covid-19 disease. We urge Continue on page 3

Eastern Mindanao

PAGADIAN CITY – Communist insurgents continue their attacks on military targets despite President Rodrigo Duterte warning that he will declare martial law if the killings do not stop or spread across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Last Friday, rebel forces killed a government soldier in a firefight in Zamboanga del Sur’s Bayog town. The attack occurred the same day that Duterte threatened to declare martial law. Duterte said he will also run after all communist legal fronts in the country.

Lt. Col. Manaros Boransing, commander of the 97th Infantry Battalion, said patrolling troops clashed with New People’s Army gunmen in the village of Balukbahan. “One trooper paid the ultimate sacrifice in an encounter with the Continue on page 3

Philippines signs $1.5 - billion ADB loan THE DUTERTE administration signed a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that would enable the government to access up to $1.5 billion in budgetary support to augment funds for its efforts against the

Western Mindanao

coronavirus disease, or Covid-19, pandemic. The Department of Finance said the loan would be for the Covid-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) program under the ADB’s Countercyclical Support

Cebu

Facility Pandemic Response Option (CPRO) a quick-disbursing budget-support facility to aid countries in mitigating the severe economic shocks caused by the pandemic and Continue on page 2

Manila

The Mindanao Examiner

April 27-May 3, 2020

Urgent action needed in conflict zones amid Covid-19 pandemic Continued from page 1 Additionally, health systems weakened by conflict have reduced capacity for detection, management and the follow-up of cases of sickness, which in turn increases the risk of transmission. “Covid-19 has overwhelmed advanced health care systems. Many of the places where we work lack even basic health care infrastructure, let alone intensive care capacity. Our fear is that unless urgent action is taken to curb the spread of the virus, it will devastate some of the world’s most vulnerable communities,” said Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC said it fears the worst for people in prisons and displacement camps around the world. Health systems in conflict zones in places such as Syria, Yemen, South Sudan, northeast Nigeria, and Afghanistan are simply not prepared to handle a flood of Covid-19 cases without a surge in support. It said an immediate

and concerted response by states and humanitarian organizations is vital, adding, the deadly disease does not have to be catastrophic for war-torn countries with weakened healthcare systems, but it does require the international community to scale up support. “In displacement camps, physical distancing is not possible, and we fear it will be impossible to stop the spread of coronavirus once it enters a camp. Indeed, we fear the virus will spread rapidly and viciously, straining the medical response. Containment will be difficult, as it is harder to trace and isolate suspected cases when people flee their homes due to violence. Warfare has not stopped because of the virus, and victims of conflict still need and deserve assistance,” Maurer said. “Our work helping victims of conflict is still needed even amid an increased response to the virus. This work is made extra difficult because of the scale of this current pandemic, and the necessary and vi-

tal measures countries are now taking to contain it, such as movement restrictions of people and goods. To avoid a catastrophe, governments and other armed actors in conflict theaters must facilitate the work of humanitarians as a priority. Viruses know no borders: this is a global problem which will only be solved by global action,” he added. Maurer said even as the ICRC continues its work in places of war, it is re-orienting its activities to try to prevent and assist with the pandemic, often in close collaboration with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the IFRC. In the Philippines, ICRC’s work in prisons and in support of health systems is focusing on Covid-19 preparedness, detection, and preventive procedures. “We are also creating a rapid response plan with isolation measures, hygiene improvement and protective materials,” Maurer said. (With a report from the Mindanao Examiner.)

Filipinos go hungry as ECQ enters 2nd month Continued from page 1 inefficiencies continue to stall urgent relief efforts, it said. IBON said that there has been little improvement in the distribution of promised emergency subsidies. The group noted that just about 4.3 million or less than one in four (24%) of the government’s targeted 18 million low income families have received cash assistance. Contrary to the promise of supposedly up to P5,0008,000 in aid each, recipients instead received just an average of P4,392 each. No additional Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries have been given assistance other than the 3.7 million families reported three weeks ago. Also, just 617,141 more non-4Ps beneficiaries have been served since then. Non4Ps beneficiaries apparently include the previously reported 40,418 drivers of public utility vehicles and transport network vehicle service; this is only 9% of the 435,000 drivers nationwide targeted for cash aid. This means, IBON claimed, that as many as 13.6 million or 76% of the 18 million poorest families have not received emergency subsidies and are going hungry, said the group. IBON said that mil-

lions of households are at risk of hunger because of the poor reach of emergency subsidies and even of government’s other financial assistance programs. The Department of Labor Employment (DOLE) also stopped accepting applications due to the depletion of the P1.6 billion fund for its Covid-19 Adjustment Measure Program (CAMP). Only 264,154 formal workers have received P5,000 each in financial assistance as of April 19. This is just 2.5% of the IBON-estimated 10.7 million workers in the country, a large majority of them are affected by the lockdown. The group said that it is unclear if affected workers unable to avail from CAMP will now be shouldered by the Department of Finance’s Small Business Wage Subsidy Program. Not all formal workers in need meet the criteria of being employed in small businesses and registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Social Security System. Meanwhile, just 235,949 informal workers were assisted by DOLE, which is still only 3.4% of 5.2 million non-agricultural informal earners estimated by IBON. They received just an average of P2,300 each.

IBON said that financial assistance for farmers and fisherfolks is also slow and negligible. The Department of Agriculture has so far reported giving assistance to 300,994 farmers under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance Program and 52,043 farmers under the Financial Subsidy for Rice Farmers Program. This means only a total of 353,037 farmers have been given subsidies or just 3.6% of the country’s 9.7 million farmers, farm workers and fisherfolks as per IBON estimates. The research group expressed concern that the government is more focused on using a militarist approach instead of swiftly resolving inefficiencies and ensuring that emergency subsidies are given to all vulnerable households. Government’s neglect could lead to more and more Filipinos violating quarantine as they seek ways to feed their families. If the government gives more emphasis on “martial-law like” measures instead of being more humane and sensitive to the plight of poor and low-income families under lockdown, millions of families will go hungry amid more human rights violations and mounting social unrest, IBON said. (With a report from Mindanao Examiner.)

Philippines signs $1.5 - billion ADB loan Continued from page 1 bankrolling measures to prevent the further spread of the deadly and highly contagious virus. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III signed the loan agreement on behalf of the Philippine government while ADB Country Director for the Philippines Kelly Bird signed on behalf of the Bank. Dominguez said the agreement for the CARES loan is part of the national government’s external financing program this year to help fund the necessary programs to defeat Covid-19 and bridge the higher deficit requirement estimated at P990.1 billion (around US$19.5 billion) brought about by the pandemic’s economic fallout. “We thank the ADB under the leadership of President Masatsugu Asakawa for swiftly responding to the Philippines’ call for funding support in this time of crisis. We thank the Bank as well for streamlining its operations to quickly deliver its assistance and for tripling the size of its response package from US$6.5 billion to US$20

billion to help developing member-countries combat COVID-19,” Dominguez said. Asakawa reiterated the ADB’s strong commitment to providing swift and effective assistance to help the Philippines mitigate the economic and social impacts of the pandemic. “Our new financing, the largest budget support ever to the Philippines, is part of a well-sequenced support package that will provide financial and technical advice to help the government meet the challenges posed by a crisis that is wreaking havoc both globally and nationally,” he said. Under the terms and conditions of the CARES loan, the first $500 million that the Philippines can tap from the ADB’s CPRO facility will be disbursed in US dollars amounting to $250 million, and the Euro equivalent of the other half of the amount. This portion of the loan is payable in 10 years inclusive of a three-year grace period. The remaining $1 billion will also be divided equally into the US dollar and Euro equivalents

of the amount under the terms of the loan accord. This amount is payable in five years inclusive of a three-year grace period. The disbursement of the first $1 billion tranche is expected this month while the remaining $500 million may be disbursed on or before June 20. The ADB was among the first multilateral development institutions to provide assistance to the Philippines’ Covid-19 response efforts with its $3-million grant for the government’s purchase of medical supplies for health workers. It has also approved an emergency grant of $5 million for the Philippines to leverage private-sector donations for a food distribution program that has benefited 55,000 poor households in Metro Manila and neighboring areas. The food distribution program was implemented in coordination with the Departments of Finance, Social Welfare and Development and of the Interior and Local Government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. (With a report from the Mindanao Examiner.)

The Mindanao Examiner

April 27-May 3, 2020

Longer ECQ approved

Continued from page 1 Catanduanes, Benguet, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales which may change by April 30. In the Visayas, the IAFT considered Antique,

Iloilo, Cebu and Cebu City high-risk, all subject to recheck, Aklan and Capiz, which are both subject to ECQ. In Mindanao, Davao del Norte and Davao City are considered high-risk,

while Davao de Oro is subject to ECQ and subject to recheck, Roque said. “High-risk areas will be under ECQ until May 15, subject for further evaluation. Moderate-risk

Sulu now has 6 suspected Covid deaths

areas meanwhile will be under general community quarantine until May 15, also subject for further evaluation. Low-risk areas will fall under general community quarantine, or GCQ, until May 15, and if there is no deterioration, General community quarantine will be relaxed leading to normalization,” he said. The IATF likewise recommended a minimum health standard to be implemented starting April 27. The Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of

Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will prepare the guidelines. Roque said areas previously under ECQ, but remain under GCQ will allow workers to go out and work in phases. Young people, senior citizens and high health risk would stay at home. And for GCQ areas, restricted mall opening covering non-leisure shops would be allowed. There will be mandatory temperature check, mandatory wearing of masks, mandatory alcohol use. Limited number of people, particularly those with age 21 to 59, with ID and not looking sickly, would be allowed to go in-

side. “Priority and essential construction projects would likewise be allowed to resume, subject to minimum health standards, physical distancing, and barracks for workers. Public transport modes would likewise be allowed to operate at reduced capacity. Local government units would enforce curfew at night for non-workers. The decision on ECQ and GCQ were based on the risk of outbreak. Areas under ECQ would again undergo evaluation if the decision can be relaxed starting May 16,” Roque said. (With reports from the Zamboanga Post and the Mindanao Examiner.)

NPA unfazed by Duterte’s martial law threat Continued from page 1 to public to continue taking preventive measures to stay safe,” he said. The provincial government continues to roll out relief assistance to poor families in all 19 municipalities in an effort to help local chief executives feed the poor while assisting social workers in the distribution of emergency cash subsidy to all those affected by the pandemic. Even medical front-liners, health care workers and security forces in the frontlines received relief assistance from the provincial government. Tan has extended the general home quarantine until end of the month and this could prolong further if the spread of the virus does not slow down or stop. He said the Sulu State College Hostel which has been identified as one of the quarantine facilities in the capital town of Jolo, is also ready to accept probable Covid-19 patients following the completion of 12 isolation rooms. He previously appealed to the regional government and the national health authorities for medical support, but received little. The regional government only sent 2,500 face masks and bottles of alcohol, although it claimed to have released P155 million to all 5 provinces under it to support efforts to combat the virus. The regional has nearly 4 million population. Tan said the provincial and municipal hospitals still lack medical

equipment to support the campaign in combatting the spread of Covid-19. He said the provincial government has been asking medical support from the regional government and national agencies, but received nothing. “Because of the absence of testing kits, the incapacity of our hospitals, lack of ventilators and shortage of sufficient medical personnel to attend to a sudden surge of Covid, our only viable course of action is prevention through a province-wide general community quarantine. We cannot afford to take any chances of putting at risk the lives of our people as a consequence of relaxing our quarantine procedures,” he said. “Prevention is the only available option at our disposal at the moment, considering that we are not equipped medically and still denied of even the most basic of testing kits and other related equipment, either from

the regional government or national agencies. For reasons aforementioned, it would be grossly unfair if our local initiatives would be measured by the same yardstick used in other better equipped provinces and regions in the country,” he added. Tan said being remotely located and poorly equipped, “we took the cudgels of facing this plague on our own through gutsy determination and optimizing our meager resources.” “May we, as your fellow Filipinos, further entreat our regional and national government to focus your attention and provide for our needs for testing kits, ventilators and other essential resources as equally as you do the other provinces. In spite of our sparse resources, we are one with our country in helping and contributing in whatever way we can in fighting and defeating Covid-19,” he said. (Zamboanga Post)

Continued from page 1 communist NPA terrorist group,” he said. Boransing said soldiers were still pursuing the rebels in the town. “Pursuit operation is conducted to neutralize the fleeing rebels,” he said. Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, also ordered troops to sustain the offensive and destroy the rebel group as he condoled with the family of the slain soldier. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and friends of our soldier who paid the

ultimate sacrifice in protecting our people against the terrorist group. Their sacrifices were borne out of their dedication to protect the constituents of Zamboanga del Sur in pursuit of peace and development” he said. The fighting was the second this week after soldiers also clashed with the same group in the village where troops recovered an automatic rifle and improvised explosive left behind by fleeing rebels. Last Wednesday, NPA rebels ambushed a military truck and wounded 2 soldiers in Davao City, the

hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte, in eastern Mindanao. The attack, which occurred in Malabog village in Paquibato district, targeted members of the 16th Infantry Battalion. The ambush sparked a brief firefight and it was unknown whether any of the communist rebels were wounded or killed in the clash. The NPA has been waging a violent campaign for many decades now for the establishment of a communist state in the country. (Zamboanga Post)

China aids WHO in fighting Covid-19 CHINA HAS decided to donate an additional $30 million in cash to the World Health Organization to support its global fight against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The decision announced by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Twitter came amid growing criticism against the global health body led by US President Donald Trump. Chunying said the

donation would support WHO’s fight against the global pandemic “in particular strengthening developing countries’ health systems.” She also noted that Beijing had already donated USD20 million to the organization on March 11. “At this crucial moment, supporting WHO is supporting Multilateralism and Global Solidarity,” Chunying tweeted. Trump had cut US

financial support to the organization, criticizing its late warnings against the coronavirus pandemic that infected over 2.6 million people across the globe and killing more than 183,000. WHO rejected the accusations and its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he hoped that “the freezing of the funding will be reconsidered and that the US will once again support WHO.” (Anadolu)

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The Mindanao Examiner

April 27-May 3, 2020

Sulu Pictures in the News Sulu provincial government at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos from the Office of the Provincial Governor, Task Force Covid-19)

April 27-May 3, 2020

The Mindanao Examiner

Sulu Pictures in the News

The Mindanao Examiner

April 27-May 3, 2020

Across : 1. “You there!” 4. Cheerleader’s shout 7. Epsom ___ 12. Bride’s vow (2 wds.) 13. Get by 14. Farewell, to Pierre 15. Motorcycle adjunct 17. Lugged 18. Gaze steadily 19. Pet 20. 747, e.g. 23. ___ moment’s notice (2 wds.) 26. Physical discomfort 27. Humorist ___ Barry 30. Neither’s partner 31. Laid bathroom flooring 33. Paving goo 34. Entrance 36. Identical 37. Vane letters 38. Treat with drugs 41. Sailor 43. Hen’s perch 47. Singer ___ John 48. Grove products 50. Upper crust 51. NBC’s rival 52. Track circuit 53. Marathons, e.g. 54. First-aid ___ 55. Raised railways

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Fragrant Mover’s truck Poetic “before” Divert Far off Copenhagen natives Long period Clairvoyant person She, in Seville Eye suggestively Embossed emblem Chef’s units (abbr.) Hardwood tree Baseball stat

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The Mindanao Examiner

April 27-May 3, 2020

Zamboanga now has Covid-19 testing lab for Region 9, BaSulTa

The Covid-19 testing laboratory of the Department of Agriculture. (DA Photo) ZAMBOANGA CITY – A government laboratory in Zamboanga City used for avian influenza diagnosis in 2008 has been converted to test the novel coronavirus, or Covid-19, after it passed a strict compliance set by the World Health Organization, or WHO. The Department of Agriculture, or DA, here announced Tuesday the laboratory is now ready to conduct Covid-19 testing of patients in Zamboanga Peninsula - composed of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte provinces - and also from the neighboring island-provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in the Muslim autonomous region. “We express our support in this endeavor knowing that we have the facility and the equipment to possibly qualify to test Covid-19. Utilizing it is in our utmost agenda right now apart from ensuring the continuous food supply in the region to help in this Covid-19 crisis,” said Agriculture regional director Rad Donn Cedeño. Cedeño said aside from WHO, the laboratory is now officially accredited as a Covid-19 testing center by the Department of Health, of DOH, and the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, or RITM. It has undergone five stages during which necessary assessments, validations, trainings and tests upon its accreditation. And among the qualifications considered by the certifying body were the proprietorship of a Biosafety Level 2 Molecular Laboratory and the vital Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), both of which are present in the laboratory. The DOH through the Zamboanga City Medical Center will man the laboratory from its clinical and engineering operations to the certification of equipment to ensure that standard operating procedures and the External Quality Assurance System set by

RITM are strictly followed. “The collaboration of DOH and DA in setting up this Covid-19 testing laboratory is very timely and important not only in identifying positive cases, but also in preventing even worse scenarios such as community transmissions from happening in Region 9,” said Dr. Maryrose Rendon, head of the DOH Infectious Disease Cluster. On its initial operations, the laboratory will process samples on weekdays with the results available in a minimum of 48 hours depending on the number of specimen received per day. “We will also be accepting samples from the region’s neighboring provinces such as Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,” Rendon said. The operation of the Covid-19 testing center will only run for the duration of the pandemic until such time the region is declared free from the deadly virus or when interventions from DOH will require its inactivity. The animal disease diagnostic laboratory was established 12 years ago - with the support of the Japan Special Trust Fund Program, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Bureau of Animal Industry - for avian influenza diagnosis or disease caused by infection with bird flu Type A viruses which occur naturally among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species, but do not normally infect humans. Maria Melba Wee, the DA regional technical director, said the laboratory is secured with limited access to unauthorized people because it is a fenced and separate building within the complex. “It is modern and built to purpose. It has a 3-suite configuration for PCR with proper workflow from clean to dirty, and with certified Class II-A biosafety cabinet with calibrated equipment,” she said, adding, the old

RT-PCR machine has been replaced with the latest machine in 2017. Sulu, Zamboanga appeal Sulu Governor Sakur Tan and Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco have earlier appealed separately for medical support and Covid-19 rapid test kits following the mounting number of infections the past weeks. Sulu had reported 4 suspected Covid-19 deaths, while Zamboanga recorded 1 death. Tan said the provincial and municipal hospitals still lack medical equipment to support the campaign in combatting the spread of the deadly respiratory disease, now a global pandemic. He said the provincial government has been asking medical support from the regional government and national agencies, but received nothing. “Because of the absence of testing kits, the incapacity of our hospitals, lack of ventilators and shortage of sufficient medical personnel to attend to a sudden surge of Covid, our only viable course of action is prevention through a province-wide general community quarantine. We cannot afford to take any chances of putting at risk the lives of our people as a consequence of relaxing our quarantine procedures,” he said. “Prevention is the only available option at our disposal at the moment, considering that we are not equipped medically and still denied of even the most basic of testing kits and other related equipment, either from the regional government or national agencies. For reasons aforementioned, it would be grossly unfair if our local initiatives would be measured by the same yardstick used in other better equipped provinces and regions in the country,” he added. Tan, who heads the local Task Force Covid-19, said while Sulu - one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region - being remotely located

and poorly equipped, “we took the cudgels of facing this plague on our own through gutsy determination and optimizing our meager resources.” “May we, as your fellow Filipinos, further entreat our regional and national government to focus your attention and provide for our needs for testing kits, ventilators and other essential resources as equally as you do the other provinces. In spite of our sparse resources, we are one with our country in helping and contributing in whatever way we can in fighting and defeating Covid-19,” he said. “The public can understand the Provincial Government’s limited medical capabilities, but we can sense their restlessness and queries are abound on why the delay of much needed equipment and kits.” Last week, Climaco said the local government is willing to purchase Covid-19 rapid test kits because it takes too long for RITM to release test results of patients and many of them had died even before test results could come out. She said Zamboanga City had 34 sus-

pected Covid-19 deaths. “What we are appealing from the local government unit of Zamboanga, on behalf of Region 9 - Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi - is that if we have this tests available in Zamboanga City that’s approved by the so we will be able to easily test our suspected patients at para maloan natin sa ating mga hospital facilities sapagkat napakatagal tayong makakuha ng results and sometimes yun pasyente natin paglabas na positive siya eh matagal na natin namo-monitor sa ospital,” Climaco explained. “Ano po ang maibibigay na solution (ng DOH) para sa amin because not everyone that is swabbed is being tested (because) meron po silang very strict criteria with the RESU (Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit) and that is where our backlog is kasi ang sinasabi ng mga local government units kung mabigyan kami ng access ng DOH to test as many possible suspects as we can, it will really ease the burden on our hospitals, it will ease the burden on the local government

units so we are asking and appealing from DOH to help us rapidly, positively test these cases if they are positive in a way we will be able to ensure that health services will be provided at the earliest possible time,” Climaco said. “Wala (hindi) po kami nabigyan ng test kits sa Zamboanga City and the only process we are observing is the DOH swabbing so ang sinasabi namin ay may kakayahan ang mga local government units to buy the test kits, but the question is maa-aprubahan ba ito ng DOH although this is FDA-approved pero dadaan at dadaan pa rin ito sa RITM and that is why in order to help fight Covid-19 outside of Metro Manila kami po dito sa Mindanao ay wala pong natatanggap na rapid test kits, but we do not want to burden the national government because we have over 5,000 cases and we have the finances to purchase these test kits,” she added. Climaco has welcomed the accreditation of the DA’s laboratory as a Covid-19 testing facility in Zamboanga. (Zamboanga Post)

Soldiers bring home 250 stranded students in Lanao Sur

Photos released by the 82nd Infantry Battalion to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner show some of the stranded students and university and government officials before they are brought home by soldiers. COTABATO CITY - Over 250 students stranded in their dormitories in Lanao del Sur finally returned to their homes after army soldiers provided vehicles and assisted the local government and university officials in bringing them to safely to 25 different towns in the province. 1Lt. Charles Leiand Regala, a civil-military officer for the 82nd Infantry Battalion, said the unit provided last Friday 5 trucks and security to two buses and four university vans also used to fetch the

students at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City. But Regala said there are still over 650 students still stranded in dormitories after the province imposed a strict enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 17. The province remains under quarantine. “There are still 654 students residing outside Lanao del Sur waiting to be transported back to their respective residences,” he said. Col. Jose Maria Cuer-

po II, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, they are working closely with concerned offices and government agencies to hasten the return of other stranded students to their respective homes. “We are working closely with different sectors here to ensure the safe return of the stranded students to their homes. Your Philippine Army in Lanao del Sur is always at your service. Let us unite in our actions and prayers as we fight Covid-19,” he said. University and government officials and students, now reunited with their families, praised the soldiers for assisting them despite the dangers posed by lawless elements and the risks of contracting the deadly Covid-19 respiratory disease. (With a report from Rhoderick Beñez)

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Cebu extends quarantine period

EBU CITY – The local government here has extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) until May 15 in an effort to contain or control the spread of the coronavirus disease. “There is a need to right now is the full coop- airborne transmission of extend our ECQ in Cebu eration of everyone as we the virus and prevent conCity as Covid-19 cas- continue to fight this invis- taminated air from escaping the facility. es continue to rise due ible enemy,” Labella said. He urged residents to The facility, he said, to the fact that we have been doing targeted, strictly follow the quaran- is furnished with hospital massive testing or resi- tine guidelines and stay at equipment used in isolatdents in the barangays, home and observe proper ing and treating patients where there are positive hygiene to avoid contami- with mild to moderate symptoms of Covid-19. cases,” Mayor Edgardo nating the virus. He also said that the It is the second isolation Labella said, adding his decision is based on rec- P100-million patient care center to be opened here ommendations of local center (PCC) at the North to cater to those with mild Reclamation Area (NRA) symptoms. The first is the health experts. He said the increas- here is now accepting pa- Bayanihan Cebu Field ing number of Covid-19 tients with mild to mod- Center - Sacred Heart cases being reported has erate Covid-19 symptoms, School Ateneo de Cebu. caused “concern and adding, the facility’s de- (John Rey Saavedra and sign strictly followed the Ramil Ayuman. PNA) worry for all of us”. “We have been hop- protocols and standards ing for the best, but at the set by the Department of same time, expecting the Health (DOH). He said the PCC has LAND BANK of the Philipworst that could happen in order for us to be pre- 200 beds that are sepa- pines said it supporting the pared in addressing this rated in cubicles and the implementation of the napandemic,” the mayor building is equipped with tional ID system which will said, adding that what the a negative pressure venti- greatly ease the distribution city government “needs lation system to block the of emergency cash subsidy

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella. (PNA)

Landbank backs national ID program

SEC introduces online business transaction CEBU CITY — The Securities and Exchange Commission in Cebu is now offering an easy way to transact business during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) through its interim online registration system (IORS). Lawyer Alma Marie Dalena, officer-in-charge of the SECCEO, said clients who are transacting on behalf of corporations with less than five incorporators, including the one-person corporations (OPC), can use the IORS via internet. Dalena said the IORS allows applicants or their duly authorized representatives to input the necessary data to complete their corporate profiles such as corporate name,

address, authorized capital stock, directors, and other essential information. “In this system of inputting data, the applicant must provide a valid and existing email address where the status of their applications shall be sent. Once the online registration is complete, processors from the SEC Cebu Extension Office will review the application forms after the corporate name has been verified by the SEC’s Company Registration and Monitoring Department,” she explained. She added: “Before the interim online registration was rolled out, we would ask applicants to send their documents to seccebu@sec.gov.ph for initial review. Now that the system is available,

I think it is much easier for interested parties to file applications.” She said that the new system is similar to CRS or the company registration system where corporations with five or more incorporators can apply online, adding, that before the implementation of ECQ, applications with less than five incorporators had to be manually filed in their office. “Now, interested applicants may file it in the comfort of their own homes. It is easier and much safer that way,” Dalena said. After approval of the online application, applicants are required to submit the signed and notarized hard copies. The payment for the filing fee will be done once the ECQ is lifted. (John Rey Saavedra)

to beneficiaries. Landbank President Cecilia Borromeo explained they were able to disburse P16.3 billion worth of cash grants to some 3.7 million beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in just three days after they got the funds from the national government. “We were able to disburse it fast because the CCT (conditional cash transfer) beneficiaries already have cash cards even before the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease) crisis,” she said. Borromeo said the same situation was observed in the distribution of the financial support to the beneficiaries under the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), which is targeted for more than 250,000 workers from the private sector. She said the cash grants went to the workers who have bank accounts. “This is different from our experience when we dis-

tributed the cash grants to the drivers who want to be helped by the DOTr (Department of Transportation) and LTFRB (Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board), where we have to distribute the cash grants over the counter of Landbank because they do not have bank accounts or cash card,” she said. Borromeo said they will coordinate with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and NEDA to optimize and hasten the distribution of the national ID, which she hopes can be used also as bank and transactional accounts. The government is scheduled to pilot-test the national ID system in May or June this year to about 14 to 15 million Filipinos and to roll it out by July 2021 to cover about 50 million persons. Republic Act 11055, otherwise known as the Philippine Identification System Act, mandates that all Filipinos as well as resident aliens in the country be issued a

national ID that will have basic information to be sourced from PSA data. The cards will be given for free. In October 2019, the PSA and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) that tasked the latter to produce within three years 116 million blank cards for the PhilSys that will have security features, which officials said are better than those used in making passports. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the government-to-government pact is better than involving the private sector to address any issue that usually arises when losing bidders question the final decision on a contract. The national ID program costs about P30 billion. Diokno said costs of production for what he called foundational ID will be about P3.4 billion, or around P30 per card. (Joann Villanueva)

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